The Senators say that because the new law expands Medicaid and changes Medicare, with new mandates and regulations, the expansion will create new vulnerabilities to waste, fraud and abuse. The Senators are submitting questions to Levinson for his review and response:

--Does the new health reform law fully and effectively implement all the strategies and recommendations Levinson's office identified in earlier Senate Finance Committee testimony for eliminating fraud, waste and abuse in the health care system?


--Do the provisions in the new law designed to combat waste, fraud and abuse represent a fundamental change in the "pay and chase" culture in Medicare, and do the law's anti-fraud provisions largely represent a continuation of the "current post-incident, enforcement driven culture in Medicare and Medicaid?"

--What fraud or exploitation does Levinson see in the new State Exchanges and subsidy arrangements for fraud, waste and abuse? Are there coordination issues that could make the mechanisms vulnerable?

--Does Levinson believe that the new law contains sufficient reforms to prevent fraud, waste and abuse in the current Medicaid program; and are there any reforms to address the high improper payment rates in the program?

--What steps could federal officers/agencies take to share Medicare and Medicaid data to reduce waste, fraud and abuse?

--and finally, what further recommendations or strategies for combating waste, fraud, and abuse in public health care programs does Levinson think Congress should review and consider?

Adapted in part from press releases from the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation.

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science& Transportation press releases: http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=0244e1ad-f4aa-4b8e-a4f4-d93a34b5ed2b

http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=c9a3b9b4-175f-4b71-9086-a080e2b08480&ContentType_id=77eb43da-aa94-497d-a73f-5c951ff72372&Group_id=4b968841-f3e8-49da-a529-7b18e32fd69d

The Committee's Report: http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Reports&ContentRecord_id=a42d2ec1-3020-4d10-852d-543c5b4390d6&ContentType_id=6a6fef64-34f1-4348-b965-ec03a1dcadfe&Group_id=a89b0b93-3242-4d2a-82da-5e916a62b6a9

Rep. Waxman and Stupak's memo: http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_111/20100414/memo-2.oi.2010.04.14.pdf

Senator McCain's letter: http://mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Files.View&FileStore_id=3fb2b0ea-e068-453a-bf56-927d75dc1ef7

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